What parents need to know

Parents need to know thatBullet Force is an online first-person shooter in which players use a variety of guns and explosives to kill other people, often resulting in bloodshed. Some parents might also find it troubling that one of the places you get into a shoot-out is an office. That said, there's no sex, cursing, or use of drugs or alcohol. By watching ads or spending real money, players can buy the in-game currency needed to purchase new weapons or customize existing ones, both functionally and aesthetically. There's also no privacy policy available, either in the game or online (despite what the Google Play page may lead you to believe), so consider yourself warned.

Wondering if Bullet Force is OK for your kids?

Set preferences and get age-appropriate recommendations with Common Sense Media Plus. Join now

What's it about?

The first-person shooter BULLET FORCE doesn't have a story. Instead, you engage in a series of skirmishes set in such locations as a forest, a city, and, oddly, an office building. Using a variety of modern military weapons -- all of which can be customized both functionally and aesthetically -- you engage in games of "Team Deathmatch," "Free for All" (which is basically everyone for themselves), "Conquest" (in which you have to capture points on the map), and "Gun Game" (where the kind of gun you have constantly changes).

Is it any good?

Like so many mobile first-person shooters before it, this one again shows why this kind of game only works when you have a controller or keyboard. In Bullet Force, you use modern military weapons to engage in online gunfights in such typical locations as a city, a forest, and a Middle Eastern outpost -- though it does mix things up, if only a little, by also holding them in a park, a Japanese garden, and (disturbingly) an office. This also has the usual types of gunfights, including "Free for All," in which it's everyone for themselves; the capture point mode "Conquest"; "Gun Game," where everyone has the same weapon, but it's constantly being swapped for another; and, of course, "Team Deathmatch." But while this would be generic if it were on a console or computer, it's actually worse as a mobile game since its controls are so awkward. Doubly so because the part of the screen you press to shoot is right next to where you slide your finger to aim. And no, everyone having this handicap doesn't make it any better -- just that much more frustrating. Which is why Bullet Force is as dull as its uncreative name suggests.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about violence in games. Do you feel any different shooting other humans in Bullet Force, as opposed to monsters or aliens in other games? Why do you think this is?

Talk about money management. Since you can just watch ads, does it make any sense to spend money on this game? Or is it more about not spending a lot?

Discuss choosing the right tool for the right job. Like many mobile first-person shooters, this has awkward controls that make it less fun than if you played it with a controller, but what does that say to you about the importance of knowing what works on a phone or tablet versus a computer or console?

Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.